Guinea has canceled its participation in the Tokyo Olympics due to a coronavirus pandemic. This was announced by the Minister of Sports of the West African country.
A source close to the government in Conakry said that the decision of a group of five people not to go to Tokyo was due to financial difficulties and the fact that “the ministry cannot pay the costs.”
“Due to the re-emergence of coronavirus variants, the government, concerned about the health of Guinean athletes, has decided to cancel Guinea’s participation in the Tokyo Olympics,” Sports Minister Sanusi Bantama Sow wrote in a letter to Guinea’s Olympic Committee president.
Guinean media also say that the refusal was due to financial reasons rather than the health of a country that has never won an Olympic medal in its 11 appearances. The team of five included Fatumata Yari Kamara (freestyle wrestling), Mamadou Samba Ba (judo), Fatumata Lamarana Toure and Mamadou Tahiru Ba (swimming) and Aisata Din Conte (athletics, women 100 meters).
In April, North Korea announced that it would not participate in the Tokyo Olympics to “protect” its athletes from the risk of a coronavirus pandemic.